Course description:

History is a subject that allows you to learn about the past by studying the evidence that people have left behind. You will discover how History helps us to understand the way the past has shaped the present. The study of History teaches many skills and deals with important ideas. It will encourage you to develop your own views on important issues and to be able to support opinions with clear thinking and convincing evidence. For this reason History is a very good preparation for a career in Law.

As the course progresses your understanding of people and the ways they think and react should increase. You will learn about change and why and when it happens. You will learn how to interpret and compare different sources of information, such as the spoken and written word, illustrations, film, statistics and physical objects. For these reasons, many careers and colleges welcome History as a good basis for further study or for employment.

The subject matter of History is vast, therefore some selection has to take place. The Syllabus we follow allows the selection of different topics in History to illustrate the nature and variety of the subject. This makes for a very interesting course. The GCSE course is split into 5 units studied over 5 terms.

Unit 1: Medicine Through Time: From Prehistoric Man to the Renaissance

A fascinating story of the way in which medical thinking changed from supernatural to simple scientific explanations of illness. What did Prehistoric man do when he had a headache? How did Egyptian Mummies help and hinder medical progress? Why is Hippocrates called the “Father of Medicine”? Why did the Romans build so many baths and aqueducts? Did Charles II's doctors kill him? Answering these questions will teach you not only why things change but also why things happen more quickly at some times rather than others.

Unit 2: Medicine Through Time: From the Renaissance to Transplant Surgery

This module continues the story of medicine through time. How did a dairy maid give Edward Jenner the idea for vaccination? Why was the Boer War responsible for the introduction of Home Economics into schools? Why did some 19th century doctors think the pain of an operation was good for you? At the end of this module you will understand a lot more about the things which have made not only modern medicine, but also the modern world, what it is. This module involves museum and theatre visits.

Unit 3: The Medieval Castle

By investigating the magnificent castles of medieval times you can discover the lives and thinking of medieval man. Designed to make you more aware of the visible remains of the past around us, this module involves site visits to Wales. You will practise skills and techniques for the precise investigation of a historical site - identifying, recording and interpreting what you can see.

Unit 4: Multicultural Britain

This Modern World Study shows how history helps to explain the way the world is today. It focuses on the people who have migrated to Britain in the 20th century. By studying the cultural diversity of Modern Britain you will gain a better understanding of the images and events which appear in the newspapers and fill our television screens.

Unit 5: American West

This study explores the issues surrounding the expansion of settlement across America; how it brought white settlers into conflict with the native Americans; what other problems the white settlers faced and how they eventually established law and order across the West.

The course is assessed by two examination papers based on Units 1, 2 and 5. The examinations contribute 75% of your grade. Units 3 and 4 are assessed by coursework (worth 25%).You will be working in different ways on the course, sometimes in a class, sometimes in small groups or individually. The course will teach you to be organised and take responsibility for your own learning. Your understanding of the subject develops through reading, reflection, essay-writing and discussion.

For more information on choices and options at 14, 16 and beyond (including career matching software), visit our Careers page.